I had the pleasure of being the photographer that handled our Maternity Photo Shoot, though I have to say the stunning subject made my job especially easy. Enjoy! The full gallery is linked above, and a selection of images are embedded here as well.

Note, I am a creative writer. Therefore I reserve the right to embellish any detail I choose, though all of the facts remain unchanged!

On a comfortable day in September, not long after beginning his employment with Apple, Jesse walked into the store only to be greeted by the most memorable sight one could imagine: the wondrous smile and starlike eyes of an interesting young woman. Uncertain of whether his eyes were deceived by her beauty, or if his imagination merely grasped the warmth of her smile and conjured an innocent daydream, Jesse shrugged the thought aside as he returned the smile and warm greeting. Another time, perhaps, and he would explore those thoughts further.

From across the room your smile beckons,
Warming even the dreariest days.
My heart flutters lightly, my mind races,
Yet my fears hold too much sway.
Perhaps one day the opportunity will open,
And maybe then my walls will crumble.
If only I could convince myself to take the first step,
Alas, for now I’ll simply remain quiet and humble.

I most certainly welcome a warm approach, In the event you feel the slightest interest. I have simply been unable thus far, To break down my own defenses.

One day… one day…

Days passed, and his thoughts never drifted back to that morning. A thought suddenly struck him one October day, and he invited her to join on a hike at Ruffner Mountain. Her response, a simple explanation of being busy, was neither apologetic or curt. It simply was. He shrugged off the thought, and decided there probably was no interest on her part.

Weeks passed, and while out in California for training there was ample time for reflection. Jesse’s thoughts began to drift back to the young woman who had barely even spoken a word to him, and yet she somehow managed to invade his thoughts without the slightest effort. He focused on the trip, enjoying the comfortable Autumn weather in San Jose and Cupertino. In the evenings he tried, albeit without much luck, to keep his thoughts from drifting back to her.

After returning to Birmingham he decided to make an actual effort and invited her to see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part 1). She accepted, and after a few days and a couple of text messages, things were seemingly set. As the day approached he grew somewhat anxious. Mere hours before they were to meet, she sent him a message seeking a rain check until more people were planning to go. The implication was obvious: “I’m not interested.” The feelings of rejection and a complete lack of interest were like hammers, hitting him over the head and reminding him that such an innocent and proper young woman would surely have no interest in someone whose path had taken them through darkness, in someone who could no longer be considered innocent. He shrugged off the thoughts, and decided there was simply no reason to pursue any further.

Weeks turned into months, with sporadic and short bursts of rather meaningless, although courteous, greetings and brief statements exchanged. Jesse forced himself to push aside the random thoughts of her that still managed to invade his mind, perceiving a continued lack of interest on her part. Suddenly something changed, ever so slightly, and conversations started to occur with a little more regularity and depth. Unable to push the thoughts out of his mind, Jesse began to believe he was latching more and more onto daydreams and wishful thinking than he could control.

In March she agreed to meet him for a photo shoot, offering to allow him to practice his craft for the first time since relocating to the Birmingham area. Although away from work, Jesse still had no clue whether his imagination was playing tricks on him and creating interest on her part, or if this was purely a professional courtesy. Throughout the photo shoot, fear took hold and kept him from behaving in any way other than with a client. Conversation began to occur a bit more easily and regularly, however, though it only served to permeate his thoughts with the image of her.

Over the next couple of months there were ups and downs. An invitation to Easter service was certainly welcomed by Jesse, and yet he still had no clue whether she was remotely interested or simply reaching out as a friend. Their conversations became a bit more flirty, and yet she would reign that flirtatiousness back in quickly and remind him that she was dating someone else. The back and forth nearly drove Jesse insane, and finally he decided to try to rebuild walls and protect himself from this young woman whose mere presence caused his imagination to run rampant.

Suddenly, something different happened. She sent a message to him that made him feel as though she needed someone to listen, and the walls he had recreated around himself started to look a lot more frail than he thought them to be. Their conversation revealed a number of things… she was uncertain of her thoughts and feelings, and there appeared to be an internal struggle between whether she should be talking to him, to be interested in him at all, or not. Jesse was unable to reign his thoughts in before her smile flooded his senses once more, threatening to destroy the walls he was working so desperately to keep intact.

While working late, on a repair shift, Jesse received a message from her that changed everything. She agreed to meet him after work that evening and simply chat for a bit, and they went and sat at the top of Shades Crest Mountain, huddled close to stay warm. Each moment seemed surreal, and Jesse was uncertain whether he was imagining the bond forming between them or if there was actually something there. His offer of friendship, of lending a shoulder and an ear to someone in need, seemed to suddenly morph into an excuse to simply be near her.

Over the next few days they exchanged a lot of text messages, simply getting to know more about each other while both attended weddings out of town. Upon returning to Birmingham she took him up on his offer of dinner, and Jesse decided pursuit was absolutely worthwhile.

Emily grew up in Carmel, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. She found her way to Birmingham to attend Samford University and came with the dream of working for Southern Living magazine after graduating. She earned her journalism degree summa cum laude and worked as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and art director of the magazine. Surrounded by friends and a church she loved, Emily opted to stay in Birmingham after graduation. She took a part-time position with Apple while working a part-time internship with mental_floss magazine in 2010. Deciding that the magazine world wasn’t for her, she left mental_floss and moved into the role of a Creative, a full-time teacher for Apple. She is still there teaching novices and experts how to get the most out of their Mac. In the future, Emily hopes to get her master’s degree in education and teach high school English, literature, journalism, and theatre.

Jesse is from the Columbus, Georgia, area. After working for several years in the information technology world, he decided he was ready for a change of scenery. Persuaded by his parents, he headed up to the Birmingham area to see what it had to offer. Apple hired him and sent him straight to the role of Genius, offering troubleshooting and repairs to Mac owners. Within six months, he had moved up to the Lead Genius position and became responsible for the team of technicians at the store. After seeking something with more predictable and stable hours, he recently took a position with FIS Global as a network analyst. This May he is graduating from Columbus State University with a degree in sociology with a minor in psychology. Down the road, he wants to pursue a master’s degree and ultimately a doctorate in sociology as well.

Our future home will be at 6155 North Clubview Circle, Bessemer, Alabama.